Rotary



13 1927. Sept H. c. THRIFT ROTARY Filed Feb. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheetl gnucnhyo Sept 1927 H. c. THRIFT ROTARY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1925 Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES HOMER C. THRIFT, OF BUBKIBURNETT, TEXAS.

ROTARY.

Application filed February 5, 1923. Serial No. 616,989.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a rotary.

One object of the invention is to provide a rotary specially designed for use in drilling wells. and which is employed to rotate the drill stem to which the drill bit is attached.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary of the character described which will be comparatively free from vibration. In drilling wells by the rotary process when hard strata are encountered there is considerable vibration of the drill stem which is transmitted to the rotary table and through it to the driving mechanism including the engine, and this vibration soon destroys the rotary rig. It is the object of this invention to provide a rotary which will be comparatively light in construction and which, at the same time, will overcome the usual vibration incident to drilling and will consequently run comparatively smoothly, thus conducing to the long life of the rotary.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation, and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the rotary,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view I taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 and,

Figure 3 is a plan view, shown partially in horizontal section.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the base of the rotary, mounted upon which is the base plate 2. The numeral 3 designates the rotary table which is mounted on said base plate and runs on suitable upper and lower bearings 4 and 5. The rotary table is provided with an annular surrounding band 6, which is preferably pressed thereon, and is formed with sprocket teeth 7. The rotary table has a downwardly converging opening therethrough to receive the grief pipe 8, to the lower end of which the drill stem (not shown) is attached. This grief pipe is locked to rotate with the rotary table by means of the wedge shaped slips 9 which are keyed to the table by means of the keys 10. These slips are held in place by means of a cover plate 11 which has the lateral arms 12, 12 which are bolted to the top of the table by means of suitable bolts 13, 13. Cast integrally with one side of the base plate 2 there is an extended housin 14.- and slidably mounted in the outer end thereof there is a casting 15 having the vertical shaft 16 rotatable in suitable aligned bearings thereof. The casting 15 is formed into a housing and within this housing and fixed upon said shaft there is a sprocket wheel 17 which is aligned with the sprocket 7 and operating thereover is the sprocket chain 18 which transmits rotation from the former to the latter. There is an adjusting shaft 19 which has one end threaded into the cast ng 15 and its other end has a bearing agalnst the arcuate web 20 which is integral with the base plate 2 and partly surrounds the rotary table. By turning the shaft 19 the tension of the chain 18 may be regulated. This shaft 19 has a notched .disc 21 fixed thereon and above it the housing 14 has a removable cover plate 22 with a depending key 23 which engages in one of the notches of said disc to hold said shaft against turning from the vibration of the machine.

The lower end of the shaft 16 has a bevel gear 23 fixed thereon in mesh with a pinion 24 which is fixed upon the end of the drive shaft 25. The upper end of the shaft 16 carries a relatively heavy fly wheel 26, which in a large measure eliminates vibration and conduces to the smooth running of the rotary.

The fly wheelis mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane so as to be out of the wa This fly wheel is of comparatively large diameter, and if mounted to rotate in a vertical plane would be in the way of the workmen handling the rig.

What I claim is 1. In combination a rotary table adapted to engage and drive a vertical pipe, a power transmitting means including a power shaft, a vertical shaft operatively connected with and driven by said power shaft, an adjustable bearing member in which the vertical shaft has a bearing, a fly wheel fixed to said vertical shaft and which rotates in a horizontal plane, and a driving member operatively connected with the vertical shaft and rotary table and adapted to transmit rotation from the vertical shaft to said pipe, through said table, a fixed housing enclosing said driving member and means for adjustlng said bearing relative to said housing.

2. A device of the character described including a EIPG rotating member which rotates in a orizontal plane, a power shaft,

an intermediate vertical shaft operatively connected with the power shaft, a fly wheel fixed on the vertical shaft and rotatable in a horizontal plane, a driving connection between the vertical shaft and the pipe rotating member,'means for varying the distance between the vertical shaft and the pipe rotatin member.

3. in apparatus of the character described including a supporting base, a rotary table mounted on said base and provided with an opening to receive a vertical pipe to be driven, means for operatively connecting said pipe with said table whereby the pipe may be driven from the table, a housing fixed to said base on one side of said rotary table, and an adjustable housing associated with the outer end of said fixed housing, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in a vertical bearin in said adjustable housing, means operatlvely connected with said vertical shaft, and said table for driving the latter, a fly wheel fixed on the vertical shaft and disposed in a horizontal lane and means for driving said vertical s aft. j

4. An apparatus of the character described including a supporting base, a rotary table mounted on said base and provided with an opening to receive a vertical pipe to be driven means for operatively connecting said pipe with the table whereby the pipe may be driven from the table, a housing fixed to said base on one side of the rotary table and an adjustable housing associated with the outer end pf said fixed housing, an arcuate web carried by the base which partly surrounds said rotary table, an adjusting shaft enclosed by said fixed housing, one

end of which has a bearing ag inst said web and the other end of wh'ch has a threaded connection with said adjustable housing, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said adjustable housing, means operatively connected with'said vertical shaft and said table and enclosed by said housing and provided to drive the table from the vertical shaft, a fly wheel fixed on said vertical shaft and disposed in a horizontal plane and means for driving said vertical shaft.

5. An apparatus of the character described including a supporting base, a rotary table mounted on said base and provided with an opening to receive a vertical pipe to be driven, means for operatively connecting said pipe with the table whereby the pipe may be driven from the table, a housing fixed to said base on one side of the rotary table and an adjustable bearing member associated with the outer end of said fixed housing, an anchor fixed relative to said base, an adjusting device enclosed by said fixed housing, one end of which is operatively connected with said anchor and the other end of which is operatively connected with said adjustable bearing member, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said adjustable bearing member, means operatively connected with said vertical shaft and said table and enclosed by said housing and provided to drive the table from the vertical shaft, and means for driving said vertical shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HOMER C. THRIFT. 

